Prosthetic transfer recorder



Aug. 11, 1953 s. K. AVERY 2,548,130

' PROSTHETIC TRANSFER RECORDER Y Filed Aug. 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 IN VENTOR Aug. 11, 1953 s. K. AVERY 2,648,130

PROSTHETIC TRANSFER RECORDER Filed Aug. 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \llllll-l lw Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE This invention relates to a prosthetic transfer recorder and particularly concerns an appliance for locating and recording the relationsh p of bite blocks in a patients mouth to the head of thepatients condyles.

I t customary p actic i repa in tures, the dentist usually molds bite blocks of wax, which bite blocks are fitted in the patients mouth. With these bite blockspositionedin the mouth, lateral, mesial and distal movements of the lower jaw effect the tracing of a Gothic arch by relative movement of a scriber secured in one of the bite blocks and engaging a tracing plate secured in the other bite block. This tracing of the Gothic arch establishes the centric relation of the bite blocks and indicates relative movementsof the jaws in the occlusal plane. Following the tracing of the Gothic arch, the bite blocks may be mounted-in an articulator which has a pivot point so arranged thatv the movements of the two bite blocks correspond. generally to the movements of the patients jaws. While the Gothic arch indicates the centric relationship of the bite blocks and movements of the jaws in the occlusal plane, it does not establish the proper relationship between the bite blocks and the pivot point, that is, the head of the patients condyles.

To exactlysimulate, in the articulator, relative movement of the mandible with respect to the upper jaw, the pivot point of the articulator with respect to the bite blocks shouldcorrespond to the positions of the condyle heads relative to the occlusal plane of thepatient, Heretofore, this relationship of the pivot point has ,been' ape proximated by the technician or the ,dentist. While various appliances havebeenproposed for recording facial measurements, and articulators may have their pivot points positioned according to such measurements, it has been necessary to record various dimensions of the face ,sothe dentist or technician may set the pivot point of. the? articulator according to the recorded dimensions. This is of course subject to error. on thepart of the dentist taking the measurements and the dentist or technician setting up thearticulator. Furthermore, time is consumed in. both the re.- cording and setting up operations.

A major object of the present inventionv isto provide a prosthetic transfer recorder which has locators for the heads of the condyles to indicate on devices which accompany the bite blocks, just as the Gothic arch tracing accompaniesthe bite blocks, the heads of the condyles with respect to the occlusal plane of the biteblocks positioned in the patients mouth.

vislon a' brac'liet tor attachment to one of the bitezblocks 'iinthe patients mouth with a condyle ilocator having one end secured to the braclret and shaped so the other end extends laterallyand distally from the bracket so the free end of the locator overlies the head of the cofndyle of the patient in 'whose mouth the bite bio are located. l?referab1'y, a pair of locators a e supportedin predetermined relation in the bracket, but are removable from the bracket so they lmay be transmitted with the bite blocks and the hracket to a'technician who may handle the bite bloclgs and 'set' them up in an articulator. An 'qrt allt feature of the invention resides injthe" provision of a Gothic arch tracing plate made of ,difiDQSdble sheet material and'condyle head locatorsalso (if disposable sheet material, the. lo "torsf bein'g' detachably mountable on the plate' npredetermined relation and shaped't'o overli'e'theheadspf'the condyles of the patient in hose niouth the biteblocks are located.

jectsj'of the invention will become ap arent' frgm the flo llowing specification taken onjunction withj the accompanying drawings "Fig; 1 is an elevational view of a prosthetic recorder illustrating apreferred form of the in- 'erted' in the mouth of a patient;

Fi Zji's'a top Qplan' vi'ew of a preferred form of th 'cgndyle headg locator appliance embodying theinvention and 'illustrating the locators in a l ig fli isfa partial sectional view taken on the 3+3.f ?f fli g i i's atop plane view of the prosthetic recorder shownin; Fig. l, the parts being mounted in bite; blocks displaced 'rnesio-distally" for pur- Fig. 8 is an elevational view showing the recorder with condyle head locators mounted in an articulator holding the bite blocks and casts of the mouth in the proper position.

In Fig. 1, an upper bite block I and lower bite block I2 are shown inserted in the mouth of a patient. Secured in the upper bite block and extending mesially between the lips of the patient is a scriber member I3 having a flat spring body portion I4 (Fig. 6) with one end I5 embedded in the upper bite block II. Free end I6 of the scriber member I3 is formed with a tubular socket I1 for receiving the scriber point l8. Any suitable scriber may be used for tracing the Gothic arch. For example, the modified form of scriber shown in Fig. '7 has its flat spring body portion I4 provided with a hole in which is mounted scriber point I8. While the scriber is illustrated as formed of metal, it may be made of any suitable material and have a shape whereby the scriber is supported in the upper bite block by the wax of the bite block with the scriber itself extending mesially between the lips of the patient and the scriber point projecting downwardly from the exposed end of the scriber.

For the purpose of tracing the Gothic arch and also providing a support for condyle head locators, a bracket I9, of cardboard or other suitable sheet material, is made of a double thickness by being folded along front edge 2| to form an upper layer 22 and a lower layer 23. The exposed upper face of upper layer 22 forms a tracing plate 24 across which scriber I8 moves during lateral, mesial and distal manipulations of the mandible with respect to the upper jaw, thereby tracing on plate 24 a Gothic arch.

For the purpose of retaining the two layers of bracket I9 together, staples may be inserted through the two layers. For example, a pair of laterally disposed staples 25 and 26 may be arranged to define, with the fold along edge 2|, a socket extending laterally through the bracket I9 between the layers thereof. To divide this socket into two parts, another staple 21 may be inserted through the layers and arranged along the medial plane thereby dividing the socket into two parts, one on each side of the center of the bracket.

For the purpose of supporting the bracket I9 in the lower bite block, the distal portion of the bracket is formed with a pair of holes 28 and 29. These holes provide devices whereby the bracket ma be secured, as by wax or otherwise, to the lower wax bite block I2. Thus, the bracket is actually embedded in the wax of the bite block and securely retained in position so it extends mesially between the lips of the patient beneath the scriber I3.

As previously explained, the Gothic arch traced on tracing plate 24 is useful in determining the centric relation of the upper and lower bite blocks and also in determining relative movements of the bite blocks in the occlusal plane.

For the purpose of recording the relative positions of the upper and lower bite blocks with respect to the condyle heads of the patient, a pair of condyle head locators 3| and 32 are shaped and arranged to extend laterally and distally from the bracket and overlie the patients condyle heads. For this purpose, condyle head cator 3| has one end 33 shaped and arranged to be received in the socket defined by folded front edge 2|, lateral staple 25 and mesial distal staple 21. The innermost edge 34 of the locator engages, when properly positioned, the mesial distal staple 21, which thus serves as an abutment to determine when the locator is in a predetermined position with respect to the bracket I9. Inasmuch as the locator 3| is made of cardboard or other suitable disposable sheet material, it preferably has a score-line 36 substantially parallel to the end 34 which engages abutment staple 21, so the locator may be folded with the inner surface of distally extending portion 35 overlying the check of the patient. It will be noted that the upper and lower edges of distally extending portion 35 diverge toward free end 31 of the 10- cator so the portion of the locator at the free end overlies the condyle head of the patient.

Similarly, locator 32 has a mounting end 38 shaped and arranged to be received in socket 39 formed by folded front edge 2|, lateral staple 26 and the same abutment staple 21. With the innermost end of locator 28 engaged with abutment staple 21, the locator 32 is arranged in a predetermined position with respect to bracket I9. When locator 32 is folded on its score-line 3|, distally extending portion 42 has its inner surface overlying the other cheek of the patient and overlying the head of the condyle. As in the case with locator 3|, distally extending portion 42 of locator 32 has an enlarged portion with a free end 63 overlying the head of the condyle.

In use, the scriber I3 is embedded in the upper bite block and bracket I9 is secured in the lower bite block by wax extending through mounting holes 28 and 29 so the mounting holes and the bracket surrounding them are actually embedded in the wax of the bite block. Both the scriber and the bracket l9 extend mesially through the lips of the patient. The scriber is positioned above the upper exposed surface of the bracket which forms a tracing plate for the Gothic arch. Lateral, mesial and distal manipulations of the lower jaw effect a relative movement between scriber I8 and tracer plate 24 so a Gothic arch is traced on the tracing plate. This part of the structure is effectively an extra-oral Gothic arch tracer.

Locators 28 and 29 have their respective end portions inserted in corresponding sockets of the bracket I9 and are folded along their respective score-lines so the two locators extend laterally from the bracket and have distally extending portions overlying the heads of the patients condyles. Prior to the insertion of the bite blocks in the mouth of the patient, or prior to the positioning of the condyle head locators, a spot of coloring, such as that indicated at 45, is placed on the cheek of the patient at the head of the condyles. Then, with the bite blocks positioned in the patients mouth in centric relation, and the two locators positioned in the bracket, the locators are pressed against the colored spots on the cheeks of the patient thereby transferring a portion of the color onto the free end portions of each of the locators. Then a hole is punched to receive the projecting ends on the articulator which represents the heads of the condyles of the patient.

Subsequently, the bite blocks, with the locators and the Gothic arch tracer, may be removed from the mouth of the patient. The bite blocks are fastened together in centric relation prior to removal. The bite blocks are then placed on casts of jaws with the bracket secured in the lower bite block. Then the casts and bite blocks, with the condyle head locators, may be used by the dentist or forwarded to a technician. The condyle head locators may be temporarily removed from the bracket sockets, if desired for mailing;

The technician reinserts the locators in the sockets in the bracket, and then mounts the bite blocks in an articulator, in a manner illustrated in Fig. 8, so that the pivot 46 of the articulator passes through the two colored marks on the locators. In this fashion, the bite blocks are accurately positioned in the articulator so the pivot of the articulator has the same position relative to the occlusal plane of the bite blocks as the condyle heads of the patient have to the occlusal plane. Hence, any manipulation of the bite blocks in the articulator corresponds exactly to the manipulation of the bite blocks in the patients mouth.

In addition to providing a simple method and device for locating the condyle heads with respect to the bite blocks, the use of disposable condyle head locators with simple mounting devices for positioning them in predetermined arrangement in the bracket secured to the lower bite block enables these cardboard locators to be transported from place to place with the bte blocks. It is unnecessary to supply facial measurements and dimensions or to send any sort of a gauge along with the bite blocks. The cardboard locators and the tracing plate bracket may be dis carded following the completion of the dentures.

As the preferred form of the invention herein described may be modified and altered without departing from the invention defined by the appended claims, the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are to be construed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A prosthetic recorder comprising a plate having thereon means for mounting the plate in a bite block, a pair of disposable condyle head locators formed of sheet material, and cooperating means on said plate and said locators for attaching one end of each of said locators to said plate, said locators being so arranged that the free flat ends thereof project from opposite sides of said plate and overlie the condyle heads of a patient.

2. A prosthetic transfer recorder comprising a tracer plate, means on said plate for mounting it in one of a pair of bite blocks so said plate receives tracings from a stylus mounted in the other bite block of the pair when arranged in a patients mouth, a pair of disposable condyle head locators formed of sheet material, and cooperating means on said plate and said locators for attaching one end of each of said locators to said plate, said locators being so shaped and arranged that the free flat ends thereof project from opposite sides of said plate and overlie the condyle heads of the patient.

3. In a prosthetic recorder, a condyle head cating appliance comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket on a bite block, and a disposable condyle head locator on said bracket extending laterally and distally therefrom, said locator being formed of sheet material and so shaped and arranged that a flat portion of the locator overlies the head of a condyle when the bite block is inserted in a patients mouth.

4. In a prosthetic transfer recorder, a condyle head locator appliance comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket in a bite block, said bracket being formed with a socket, and a disposable condyle head locator having one end portion shaped to enter said socket for supporting said locator in predetermined relation on said bracket, said locator being formed of sheet material so shaped that the free flat end thereof overlies the head of a condyle when the bite block is inserted in the mouth of a patient.

5. In a prosthetic transfer recorder, a condyle head locator appliance comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket in a bite block, said bracket being formed with a socket, and a disposable condyle head locator having one fiat end portion shaped to enter said socket for supporting said locator in predetermined relation on said bracket, said locator being formed of sheet material shaped in a manner such that the other flat end thereof overlies the condyle head of a patient in whose mouth the bite block is inserted.

6. In a prosthetic transfer recorder, a condyle head locator comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket in a bite block, said bracket being formed with a pair of sockets, a pair of disposable condyle head 10- cators formed of sheet material having flat end portions for insertion respectively in said sockets, said end portions fitting snugly in said sockets so said locators are held in predetermined relation with respect to said bracket, the shape of said locators being such that the free fiat ends thereof overlie the condyle heads of a patient in whose mouth the bite block is inserted.

7. In a prosthetic transfer recorder, a condyle head locator comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket in a bite block, said bracket being formed with a pair of sockets, and a pair of disposable condyle head locators of sheet material, one flat end of each of said locators being shaped and arranged to enter one of the sockets, said locators being shaped and arranged in a manner such that the other flat ends of the locators project laterally and distally and overlie the condyle heads of a patient in whose mouth the bite block is located.

8. A prosthetic transfer recorder comprising a bracket having thereon means for securing the bracket in one of a pair of bite blocks, a tracer plate on said bracket positioned to receive tracings from a stylus mounted in the other bite block of the pair when both bite blocks are inserted in the mouth of a patient, a pair of disposable condyle head locators of sheet material, said bracket being formed with a pair of sockets, one flat end of each of said locators being shaped to enter one of said sockets supported thereby on said bracket, said locators being shaped and arranged to extend laterally and distally from said bracket so the free flat ends of said locators overlie the condyle heads of the patient in whose mouth the bite blocks are inserted.

SAMUEL K. AVERY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,052,806 Evans Feb. 11, 1913 1,703,105 Hawksworth Feb. 26, 1929 1,764,115 Mulcahy June 17, 1930 

